5 stars

Loving Logan (Writing Our Love Novella Book 4) by Sammi Cee: Quick Review

August 21, 2020 by Denise

Logan’s life changed forever six months ago when he lost his best friends and support system. Now it’s up to him to raise the two-year-old son they left behind.

Creed’s family teases him for being a serial dater, but that’s because he refuses to settle. He’s searching for the right person to fall in love with, but no one fits—until he meets the tattooed giant behind the bar.

Logan may look like a tough guy, but he has a shy, vulnerable side that sparks protective instincts Creed didn’t even know he had.

When Creed pursues Logan full stop, will the other man’s insecurities get in the way or will Creed get the love he’s always longed for?

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Super sweet romance about a single man raising his 2 year old nephew and a man who up until now hasn’t been able to make any relationship stick.

Logan is still reeling after losing his cousin and his wife, trying to pick up the pieces and raise his 2 year old nephew. Just going through the motions; working as a bartender during the day and spending every second he can with Jakey trying to keep his life as close to normal as possible.

When Logan fills in at the spur of the moment for an evening shift at work he meets Creed. Hot, successful, personable Creed. The exact opposite of the way Logan sees himself. Creed is enamored at first sight and asks Logan out for coffee after his shift, not taking no for an answer.
The two will have to find a balance between getting to know each other and Logan’s need to be the best parent he can to Jakey. Logan soon learns that together is so much better than trying to forge his path alone.

This one is so good. There is family and romance, cute movie dates watching Finding Nemo. I really enjoyed this story. The characters were well developed, the storyline was engaging and makes me want to read it again.

5 Pieces of Eye Candy

Capture (Torsere #1) by Annabelle Jacobs: New Release Review

August 10, 2020 by Denise

Thrown together, forced to fake a relationship both their lives depend on…

To be a dragon rider is all Nykin ever wanted. Destined from birth, and forged by magic at the age of twenty-one, he earns his place in the king’s army. But it’s not the only thing he dreams of. Lusting after the king maybe be foolish, but that doesn’t stop Nykin’s pulse from racing whenever he’s near.

Ryneq always knew he’d rule Torsere one day, but never expected it to happen quite so soon. The death of his parents forced him into a role he wasn’t prepared for and a romantic attachment is low on his list of priorities. Yet still Nykin manages to catch his interested and hold it.

With his land under threat from the lowland armies, an alliance with the elves seems Ryneq’s only option to protect the kingdom. But seeing it to fruition is fraught with danger and even the best laid plans can be thwarted. With hope all but lost, Nykin embarks on a deadly mission, willing risk everything for his duty and his king.

Featuring forced proximity, fake relationships, all wrapped up in a romantic fantasy full of suspense and intrigue. Capture is the first book in the Torsere trilogy.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

MM Fantasy with dragons, a King, and a dragon rider? Ding Ding Ding – It’s like getting six winning lotto numbers.

What I liked – World building, characters, story, slow-burn. Not the same old, or even close. King Rynek is stuck between a rock and a hard place, both geographically, and the fact that he needs to get his sister safely married to her Elven future husband to ensure their magical protection for his people. Except things don’t go according to plan (Shock, gasp), the King gets kidnapped, and step-up one plucky dragon rider, Rynek, and his dragon to ride to the rescue, save the princess, and all the while having the hots for the king.

What I didn’t like – nothing!

My only complaint was I had to ask for books two and three.

Easy 5 pieces of eye candy!

Wild Warrior (The Weavers Circle #2) by Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott: RDB, Excerpt, Release Day Review *2 and Giveaway

August 7, 2020 by Denise

Baer Manning

What happens when Baer spills his big secret about monsters and magic to a total stranger?

Chaos.

In Baer’s defense, he really thought Wiley was a lost brother.

This case of mistaken identity forces the cute artist to stay at the plantation house for his own protection while they search for a way to take down a witch.

Wiley Stuart

He never should have gotten in Baer’s Jeep.

But in Wiley’s defense, Baer is really sexy. And funny. And so sweet. And did he mention sexy?

All his life he’d dreamed of superheroes and a life of action. He just never expected to find himself swept up into a world filled with monsters and goddesses.

Wiley will do anything to stay with this magical band of brothers and help them with their fight. He just wished he could be Baer’s soul mate.

Wild Warrior is the second book in the Weavers Circle series. It includes fast-paced action, running through Savannah, secrets, swimming pool fun, shapeshifting, an elephant, sexy times, lots of snakes, insecurity, three crazy old ladies, and magic!

Title: Wild Warrior

Series: The Weavers Circle #2

Author: Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott

Publisher: Drake & Elliott Publishing LLC

Release Date: August 7, 2020

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 106,000

Genre: Romance, Fantasy

Add to Goodreads

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

There were about five people ahead of Baer in line—all of them staring at their phones or the shiny glass case of a tantalizing rainbow of doughnuts and pastries. Including the sexy blond Mini Cooper owner who was right in front of Baer in line. While Baer was a relatively average height of five ten, the blond was at least a delicate five seven or maybe five eight. The guy looked up from his phone as Baer stepped up behind him, and he flashed a nervous smile.

“Hey,” he greeted in a slightly husky voice and then flushed some more.

Yeah, this guy was all kinds of adorable.

“Mornin’,” Baer replied. “You ever been here before?”

The man shook his head, shoving his phone into his pocket. “No. It was recommended to me recently. When I woke up this morning, I just had to have doughnuts.” He gave a nervous little laugh. “I guess that’s the result of nonstop marketing at its best. It’s fall, so we’ve all gotta eat pumpkin-flavored everything for the next month.”

Blondie had the sexiest southern drawl. It wasn’t too thick. Probably a local, but he’d spent some time out of the area. Just enough to lose some of its natural thickness, but those lilting drawls still mesmerized Baer when he spoke, leaving him wondering how his lips and tongue wrapped around each vowel and consonant.

Good grief. He really did need to grab Grey for a boys’ night out in Savannah if he was going to start fantasizing about a nerdy twink’s mouth. Soul mates and forever sounded great, but it was clear that he needed to get laid. And what better time was there? Things were quiet. They weren’t running and fighting for their lives.

Pumpkin doughnuts and sex could do a growing boy good.

The bell hanging from the front door announced the arrival of another customer. Baer was about to ask the man’s name when the heavy scent of rotting flesh rolled through the room, overpowering the delicious miasma of frosting and fried dough.

Fuck.

He didn’t even need to turn around to know that behind him, pestilents had stepped into the bakery. It wasn’t enough that the alien race was attempting to steal the power of the earth to save their own dying planet while killing all Weavers in the process, but they had to interrupt his attempts at flirting as well? Just not cool.

Silently, Baer cursed himself and his luck. They’d all grown a little complacent over the past couple of months. They’d even started venturing away from the protection of the plantation without backup because the pestilents had stopped attacking.

Apparently they’d gathered enough numbers to make another go at the Weavers, and he’d not been paying enough attention to his surroundings to check to make sure there were no pestilents close. Instead of checking in with the animals in the area that there were no pestilents around, he’d let himself get distracted by big chestnut-brown eyes and a sweet smile.

Twisting around to glance over his shoulder, Baer swore under his breath to find a male and female pestilent standing in front of the door. Humans wouldn’t notice anything different about them, but Weavers could. The air wavered around them as if they radiated heat. And, of course, there was the godawful stench. Pestilents were not meant for this world, and their bodies started rotting from the moment they arrived. Their time in this place was limited, but what time they had was spent trying to kill the Weavers.

The pestilent woman wore a pair of ragged jeans, and her brown hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail, making her angular features seem that much sharper. A feral grin pulled across her thin lips when she spotted him. She lifted the shotgun in her hands to her shoulder and pointed it straight at his chest.

Baer sucked in a breath. Was she really going to open fire in a small building crowded with people? Everyone was going to be killed or injured. Not only one fucking Weaver.

Pivoting on the balls of his feet, Baer wrapped an arm around Blondie’s slender waist and dove over the closest table. A shocked yelp left the man’s lips, but he didn’t fight Baer as they tumbled to the floor. With his free hand, Baer grabbed the edge of the table, pulling it onto its side. They landed with the surprisingly thick wooden barrier at their backs just as the shotgun exploded in the room, slamming into the far side of the table and a scattering of chairs.

You definitely need to read book 1 as this is a continuing story.

We met Baer in book 1 as one of the Weavers. Magical beings that, through reincarnation, have been trying to beat the pestilents- otherworldly beings that are trying to take over earth because their world is dying. Like I said, you have to read book 1.

Baer is the animal weaver. Not only can he hear what animals are “saying” but he can also shift into any animal. It’s really pretty cool. Which is exactly what Wiley thinks when the bakery they are both in is attacked by pestilents (only Baer knows what they are) and Wiley watches him shift into a lion.

Wiley draws comic books for a living, so seeing this happen is like the coolest thing EVER for him. And then when Baer thinks Wiley is another weaver, WIley is practically GIDDY.

Wiley is thrust into this reality of magic and weavers and goddesses and pestilents and is having the time of his life. It’s kind of adorkable how much he loves being in the middle of it all- even without powers.

The pestilents have upped their game though. They have finally thrown something at the Weavers that they can’t seem to beat. They also find another “brother” the Fire Weaver. And they are searching for journals that previous Weavers wrote.

This installment was exciting, fun, sexy, heartbreaking and suspenseful. There was a lot less of the goddesses and more of the Weavers trying to figure out what they are going to do. While waiting for the missing Weavers to make their way to the plantation.

Drake and Elliott have woven (see what I did there?) an intricate world in the age old battle of good and evil. I CANNOT wait for more.

4 pieces of eye candy

I knew I was going to love Baer, I knew it and I was so excited for his book, but let me just tell you, I completely fell in love with Wiley! Lemme tell you why these two are so perfect for each other.

Baer is our shifter weaver, able to tune in with animals, hear their thoughts and speak with them, and he can turn into any one of them, though he hasn’t tried them all yet. He’s compared in the last book, to a bouncy, happy dog, and that’s exactly what his personality feels like to me too. He’s always just so happy and eager to please, I just love him immediately… so when he sees Wiley, a nerdy and cute comic book illustrator at a little donut shop, he thinks that he was led there by Jo (one of the Goddesses/Aunts), and since he feels such an attraction to him, he thinks he’s the group’s fourth weaver, so after saving him from two pestilents that follow him into the shop, he dumps every bit of truth on him and fully thinks that he’s their new brother.

Wiley is thrust into this magical world after a little old lady put an idea in his head that he wants pumpkin donuts… which, ewww, but ya know… whatevs lol After seeing this red-headed hunk in a donut shop, he can’t believe his eyes when the hot guy shifts right in front of him and takes apart these two people with guns…it gets more unbelievable when the guy asks him to come with him, tells him he’s part of their brotherhood, tells him he’ll get powers of his own and tells him everything there is no know about he and his brothers…. And Wiley….is….pumped!

I really felt for him, especially in the beginning because he wanted to belong to this group so bad. He’d always wanted a big family, with brothers and cousins and aunts and uncles, and though he has his grandma, he was lonely…. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out, but he was still so determined to help. And just because he isn’t a Weaver, doesn’t mean he doesn’t have his purpose, and Gray knows it too, even if Baer and Wiley do go back and forth over it so much I wanted to slap them both and yell DON’T YOU SEE??? You’re his soulmate!!….. YES YOU ARE!…… Nooooo, yes, you are! I mean, stop arguing with me in my mind, Baer, I know what I’m talking about!

Anyway….aside from Baer and Wiley and how ridiculously perfect they are for one another, we get to learn more about the guys and their purpose in this one. More pieces come together and things start making sense, and though I’m normally not a paranormal kinda gal, I do not do shifters and magic and ghosts and aliens and whatever else the paranormal world brings… I am absolutely hooked on this story and I never stopped being entertained.

I love the banter between the brothers and they really feel like brothers in this one. Soul brothers or whatever, like they’d known each other their whole lives. They bicker like brothers, they’re loyal like brothers and they’ll lay down and die for each other without hesitation. I love that. And Baer, so fierce and loyal and just so impossible not to love.

We also get a new brother, Lucien, and I cannot wait to know more about him, though I suspect the next story will be Grays with that lead in… I hope so, I cannot wait to see who’s going to be able to tame that broody broody man. It’ll be so hard to top Baer for me though, I just really fell in love with him and Wiley. Everything felt so genuine with them, they meshed so well together and when they finally realize that what they have isnt’ temporary, and they admit their feelings for one another, it feels so real and believable. I LOVE when that happens. Those I love you’s, are deserved in this one. I just swooned all over the place for both of them.

Overall, it was a crazy intense roller coaster full of action, loyalty, love and brotherhood. Honestly, what more could you want? It was perfect. I cannot wait to find out more about Gray! I’ll be over here impatiently but politely waiting for more!

All the stars from me!

5 pieces of eye candy

Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott have teamed up to combine their evil genius to create intense gay romantic suspense stories that have car chases, shoot outs, explosions, scorching hot love scenes, and tender, tear-jerking moments. Their first joint books are in the Unbreakable Bonds series.

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Loving Logan by Sammi Cee: Blog Tour, Excerpt and New Release Review

July 16, 2020 by Denise

Logan’s life changed forever six months ago when he lost his best friends and support system. Now it’s up to him to raise the two-year-old son they left behind.

Logan may look like a tough guy, but he has a shy, vulnerable side that sparks protective instincts Creed didn’t even know he had.

When Creed pursues Logan full stop, will the other man’s insecurities get in the way or will Creed get the love he’s always longed for?

This is a sweet-as-pie standalone novella about two men and a precious little boy; no angst, just healing as they find their happily ever after—together.

Loving Logan

Writing Our Love Novella 4

Sammi Cee

M/M Contemporary Romance

Release Date: 06.26.20

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

“You don’t have to. Bobby, the other bartender, is one of the best, and if he says he’s got it, he does. I’ll be heading out shortly.”

Creed—not that I’d needed him to introduce himself, I’d caught his name hours ago—shrugged his broad shoulders and eased onto the stool. “Well, humor me. You finish what you’re doing, and I’ll walk you out.”

To hide my confusion, I lifted my lips in my best customer service smile. “Okay, well, let me know if I can get you anything else.”

He waved me off with a grin, so I went about my business cleaning glasses, wiping down the bottles, and restocking things to make the rest of Bobby’s night smoother. The whole time, Creed’s fingers flew across the screen on his phone. Every now and then, he’d groan, but otherwise, he appeared content to just wait. But why? He’d spent a lot of the night standing at the end of the bar. Where others went back and forth from their table to get their drinks, or waited on the waitress, he’d hung out and chatted with whoever happened to walk up. Based on the conversations I’d overheard, socializing and shooting-the-breeze came easily to him. Honestly, it had made the whole night easier for me. People loved to chat up their bartenders, especially the evening crowd, and talking had never been my strong suit.

If I hadn’t overheard his brother and his men—which, how cool was that? A throuple—teasing him repeatedly through the night about how fast he went through women, I’d think maybe he’d stayed to hit on me. Since that didn’t seem to be likely, I had no idea why he patiently sat there, without actually speaking to me, playing on his phone. It seemed odd. I guessed him not staying to pick me up was actually a good thing. While Creed’s spectacular body next to most of his friends had been larger with muscle, my sheer body mass and height made me considerably bigger than him. In my experience, any man with a body that showed plenty of time spent in the gym, when they pursued me, they had only one thing in mind: get held down and fucked hard by the big tattooed guy. So not m—

“You okay over there? I’m pretty sure whatever spilled, you got it.”

Creed’s amused voice interrupted my ruminating, pulling me back into the present. I glanced up at him, confused.

He pointed to the broom in my hands. “You’ve been sweeping that same spot for about five minutes.”

“Oh.”My face heated with my embarrassment. “Sorry, I guess I got lost in my head.”

Creed set his phone down on the bartop. “Penny for your thoughts.”

How. Effing. Cute. Look at that cover…
Did ya look at it?!

Fun fact about me, I’m a sucker for a hot dad story… and this one was adorable!
Logan is the gentlest giant, taking care of his nephew after losing his cousin/brother he always wanted in a motorcycle accident that also claimed his cousin-in-law, and Jakey’s mom. With a very close family, the shy tattooed giant was doing an alright job with raising his nephew and working full time as a bartender at a bar and grill…but he hadn’t had time to grieve his loss or even take a minute for himself outside of his new responsibility. That’s when he meets Creed.

I honestly don’t know what Creed does for work, it might’ve said, but I don’t remember. It’s not important though, he comes into the bar and is immediately smitten with the blushing bartender with a hulking body, covered in tattoos and a burly beard. I mean… hot right? It brings him back to the bar every day for lunch and though he’s had a boyfriend back in college, he’s stuck with women since and has never had a connection like the one he feels just being around Logan. He’s also pushy and charming and is everything that Logan needs to come out of his shell a bit, even if it is hard to put himself out there and trust Creed the way he wants to. It’s understandable with a little boy to think of.

None of that stops Creed though, he sees something in the boys that call to him and he wants to protect them and help them heal. Thankfully he has a best friend and brother and their third to get advice from, especially when it comes to handling grief and doing whats best for the two men he already cares so much about.

I’ll admit that I haven’t read Creeds brother and best friends story, as I’ve never been a fan of m/m/m, but getting to know the silly group in this story, I might go give it a try. This one was very low to no angst with a lot of supportive and loving side characters, and I loved that. I’ve gotta be emotionally stable enough for the angst and I was surprised that this had none really. It was hot and steamy and sweet and lighthearted and it was everything you need for a feel good type of read. I really hope to read more about these two, and I’m excited to see who might be next.

If you’re a judge a book by the cover kinda reader, look no further than this one. It’s just as good as the cover would have you believe. Very sweet ending as well.

FAVORITE LINE: “I am, but I’m also going to protect you and pamper you and love you so hard.” – Creed

5 pieces of eye candy

Sammi Cee was raised in a family of readers. Summer vacations consisted of a good book while sitting lakeside from as far back as she could remember. After growing up and having her own children, her appreciation of how the written word could transport you on an adventure, bring you to tears, or give you hope, took on a whole new meaning.

These days Sammi is watching her children develop into fine young ladies while doing the things she enjoys most: drinking coffee, eating chocolate, and writing her own stories.

https://linktr.ee/sammiceeauthor

Kings of the Mountain by Morgan Brice: Exclusive Author Guest Post, Excerpt, New Release Review and Giveaway

June 15, 2020 by Denise

Fast cars. Outlaw country boys. Snarky werewolves, vengeful ghosts, and menacing monsters.

Dawson King’s family has been hunting things that go bump in the night in Transylvania County, North Carolina, since before the Revolutionary War.

Dawson was never happier than when he was racing his souped-up Mustang along winding mountain roads and hunting monsters with his best friend, Grady. Then Grady fell in love with him, which should have been perfect since Dawson had already fallen hard for Grady.

But Grady was only seventeen, and Dawson feared that sooner or later, Grady would realize his feelings were just a first crush, and then he’d be gone, leaving Dawson devastated. They both needed space to figure things out. So Dawson joined the army, while Grady stayed on the mountain.

Four years later, Dawson is coming home. He’s more sure than ever Grady is his forever love, and they’ve both agreed to begin this new aspect of their relationship as soon as Dawson gets back.

Then Grady’s father is killed in a werewolf hunt gone wrong. Grady is devastated, and he’s throwing mixed signals about moving forward. Dawson knows he needs to hold off on this new thing between them until Grady has time to grieve. But monsters never sleep, and one hunt after another throws Dawson and Grady into constant danger, while tension and unresolved feelings ripple between them.

Making it even harder, Dawson’s got a secret. He’s dreamed of death omens—which point to something stalking Grady. Can Dawson figure out who’s trying to kill Grady, save his life, and win back his heart?

Plenty of mutual pining, hurt/comfort, spooky chills, sexy thrills, and a very happy ending. The Kings of the Mountain is the first novel in the series. It is a MM romance intended for readers 18 years of age and older.

Book Title: Kings of the Mountain

Author: Morgan Brice

Cover Artist: Natania Barron

Release Date: May 21, 2020

Genre/s: Urban Fantasy, MM paranormal romance

Trope/s: Hurt/comfort, mutual pining, friends-to-lovers,

childhood best friends, second chance

Themes: coming of age, forgiveness for self and others,

crush maturing into love, letting go of guilt, family

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 63,000 words/238 pages

It’s the first in a new series

Goodreads

Amazon US – Kindle Unlimited

Amazon UK – Kindle Unlimited

Starting from Scratch By Morgan Brice

Starting a new series is exciting and stressful. Exciting because beginnings are always full of opportunities. Stressful because it takes a while to know your way around—to have a feel for the places in the book and really understand the characters and hear their voices clearly in your head.

There’s a lot of worldbuilding that goes on, especially in a paranormal romance, beyond what shows up on the page. That includes thinking through how magic works and who has it, what kinds of abilities monsters can have, what sort of creatures exist, how ghosts can be summoned and banished—all of which provides a framework to tell a solid tale and remain consistent. It’s like building the foundation for a house. If I don’t get the worldbuilding right, the stories built in that world won’t hang together the way they should, and inconsistencies will happen that spoil things down the line.

It also usually takes some time to hear the characters clearly and have a sense of their personalities, likes and dislikes, fears and strengths—all the things that make them real in the minds of the readers. I always learn something about my characters when I’m writing the books, no matter how far into a series I get. That’s part of the fun.

When I start a new series, I usually have a mix of plot, people, and place in my mind. So for Kings of the Mountain, the plot bunny was ‘what would happen if you crossed Dukes of Hazzard with Supernatural, only the main characters were *together*?’ Then as I thought about where to have as home base, Transylvania County seemed like a natural choice (it’s a real place). Everything took off from there.

Starting a new series is so much fun. It’s the beginning of a journey with new friends—and you never know where it will take you!

“Dude, you can’t keep me hanging for over an hour until we get home. Please.” Dawson didn’t care about begging. He needed to know what had happened, so he could figure out what to do when he got there.

Colt slid him a sidelong glance and relented. “If I tell you, you’ve got to keep Uncle Denny from whupping my ass, because he told me not to.”

“You know I will.”

Colt tightened his grip on the wheel, his knuckles bone-white and kept his eyes on the road, a convenient way to avoid looking at Dawson. “We’ve had some problems with rogue werewolves and feral shifters lately. They like our neck of the woods because it’s remote. If they didn’t bother anyone, we might have let it ride. But there’ve been livestock kills and some attacks on people that just barely got pushed back.”

“How did you know you’ve got weres and shifters?” Dawson fell back into hunting mode out of old habit.

“It’s that time of the month,” Colt replied with a smirk. “Seriously? The weres are only out the three days of the full moon. You know this shit—did you forget it all while you were gone?”

Dawson flinched. “Just confirming. Didn’t want to assume.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time you made an ‘ass’ out of ‘u’ and ‘me.’” Colt’s smile faded. “Anyhow, we’ve all been out trying to track down one particular werewolf. He didn’t stay in the forest and feed off the deer. If he had, no one would have bothered him. Kept coming near towns, snatching farm animals. Grady and Aaron thought they’d figured out a pattern and guessed where he’d strike next. So they did a stakeout.”

Dawson found he was holding his breath. He had an awful feeling about how this was going to go.

“They were right,” Colt continued, his voice flat. “The werewolf got the drop on Aaron. Grady shot the wolf—silver to the heart—but he’d already bit Aaron.”

“Fuck.”

“Aaron begged Grady to shoot him. Grady refused. Grady also wouldn’t just leave his gun and walk away.”

“He knew how it had to end,” Dawson said quietly, his voice thick with sorrow for both Grady and Aaron.

Colt shrugged. “Maybe he needed more than a few seconds to be okay with killing his father.” At Dawson’s wince, Colt relented. “Sorry. I don’t know what happened to Aaron’s gun; he probably lost it when he got jumped. Anyhow, Aaron went for Grady’s gun, and in the struggle, it went off. Killed Aaron. Grady walked home, covered in blood, and told Uncle Denny what happened. Denny took care of the body.”

“Jesus,” Dawson murmured. “What did they tell the cops?”

“Sheriff Rollins knew about the rogue were. He had his men out looking for it, too. So what went down could have happened to anyone.”

At least no one was going to jail. That was a small comfort. “What about Knox?”

Morgan Brice is a new author to me, but I am totally hooked. This book has it all: friends to lover, monster hunting, angst, slow burn, action and adventure. Somehow Morgan Brice ties is all up in this super entertaining story that I couldn’t put down.

The monster adventures were amazing to read, there was so much detail and imagination in each scene. I loved that we got to be in both Grady and Dawson’s head, to hear their inner thoughts and their perspective on what happened.

The flashbacks from present to past were easy to navigate, I never was confused about what was happening or when it was happening. Overall, this is one of the best stories I have read this year, I really hope it becomes a series.

5 pieces of eye candy

Morgan Brice is the romance pen name of bestselling author Gail Z. Martin. Morgan writes urban fantasy male/male paranormal romance, with plenty of action, adventure and supernatural thrills to go with the happily ever after. Gail writes epic fantasy and urban fantasy, and together with co-author hubby Larry N. Martin, steampunk and comedic horror, all of which have less romance, more explosions. Characters from her Gail books make frequent appearances in secondary roles in her Morgan books, and vice versa.

On the rare occasions Morgan isn’t writing, she’s either reading, cooking, or spoiling two very pampered dogs.

Series include Witchbane, Badlands, Treasure Trail, Kings of the Mountain and Fox Hollow. Watch for more in these series, plus new series coming soon!

Author Links

Facebook Group | Pinterest (for Morgan and Gail) | Twitter: @MorganBriceBook

Read a copy of my Badlands short story Restless Nights here for free

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Handsome Death by Sara Dobie Bauer: Excerpt and New Release Review

April 27, 2020 by Denise

I’m not hunting him; I’m protecting him.

At least, that’s what I tell myself.

In New York City, a beautiful creature like Tristan Clement should not be walking the streets alone, and I’m the perfect vampire to watch his back.

But what if keeping him safe isn’t enough anymore? What if I want to touch? And taste?

I need him. But I’ve never needed anyone.

In a world where paranormal creatures live amongst us and must follow certain laws, living life as a dangerous loner works for vampire Ethan. Inhabiting his gleaming apartment, wearing his designer suits, jetting around the world as a fanged killer-for-hire, Ethan does it all alone.

That is, until he literally runs into Tristan. Tristan, who is clearly trouble wrapped in skinny jeans and an oversized sweater. Tristan, with his shock of angelic blond curls. Tristan, who plays piano more beautifully than the old masters– and Ethan would know; he saw Beethoven.

Tristan is gorgeous, a little sassy, and irresistible. Also, Ethan is horrified to note, Tristan has no idea how incredibly tempting he is to things that go bump in the night.

Overcome by the urge to keep Tristan safe, Ethan begins to… well, stalk is such a strong word. What starts as an obsession quickly becomes something more, something that Ethan needs. And to his surprise, Tristan seems to need him, too…

*This darkly romantic tale delivers steamy passion and a happily ever after. Be advised that Handsome Death includes explicit m/m content, stalking, mentions of past abuse, and graphic violence.*

Book Title: Handsome Death

Author: Sara Dobie Bauer

Publisher: Carnation Books

Release Date: April 10, 2020

Genre/s: Paranormal M/M romance, contemporary M/M romance

Trope/s: Vampires, bondage, hurt/comfort, age gap

Themes: explicit sex, past abuse, dark, immortal, graphic violence, stalking

Heat Rating: 5 flames

Length: 72 000 words

It is a standalone story.

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I feel an itch on the back of my neck so glance behind me, and indeed, there he is, the blond kid from yesterday. I must have caught him staring, because as soon as I turn to look, he ducks his head and goes back to reading.

I shouldn’t approach him. Granted, he’s stunning. Most vampires would love to get their hands on his bare skin, but I’m not one for picking up humans outside of blood clubs. I’m cautious. Vampires can get in a lot of trouble for biting a human without consent. Like sentenced-to-death trouble. The humans at blood clubs know what they’re getting into. This guy? He looks like a puppy in need of a cuddle. He has no idea what a vampire could do to him.

Maybe some reconnaissance is in order. Just to, you know, make sure he’s all right after yesterday’s altercation.

Or something.

I’m lying to myself. This isn’t a protective detail in Serbia, this is me away from combat too long and bored in New York.

Fuck it.

He sits at one of the heavy wooden tables with the lid off his cup. His hair hangs halfway over his forehead, tilted down over a paperback, but I can still see his mouth, the way he chews his bottom lip, making it pinker, fuller.

I walk right up to his table. I don’t wait for him to look up. I don’t wait for an invitation. I just sit.

He startles at my arrival. His eyes widen and stare at me.

“Who are you?” I ask. I’ve always been really good at openings.

“Uhh.” His forehead wrinkles.

I drum my fingertips on the table. “I’ve never seen you in here before.”

“You saw me yesterday.” He folds the top corner of a page in his paperback: Dracula by Bram Stoker. “You saved my ass yesterday.”

“Before yesterday,” I reply.

He sighs. “A Starbuck’s bought out my favorite coffee shop, so I guess this is now my favorite coffee shop. Buy local.” He scoops his messenger bag off the floor and shoves the book inside.

The kid has one of those runway model faces—gaunt if not so beautiful, sharp and yet soft. Freckles? Zero. Wait, no, he’s got just a smattering that you would only notice close-up … or with well-trained vampiric eyes. He has no shadow of recently shaved facial hair, and that’s no surprise based on the white-blond of his hair. He must moisturize those lips because nobody’s mouth just naturally looks like the perfect mixture of velvet and silk.

He sighs again, louder. “You’re staring at me.”

No, I’m studying him—checking out his vulnerable areas, which are pretty much everywhere considering he’s so thin and fragile-looking.

As for everyone else in the coffee shop, they’re looking at the kid like they want to take him to bed. I catch a girl at the next table over gawking. A big dude with a beard stands in line to our right, his mouth hanging half open as he admires.

“Everyone is staring at you,” I respond.

His pale cheeks burn bright red as he swoops his bag onto his shoulder and stands. “No, that’s …” He shakes his head. “Ha, no.” He doesn’t say goodbye. He even leaves his coffee, half-consumed on the table. He up and abandons me without a word, but I do watch him go—as does half of Inky Grounds.

Once he disappears out into the early October morning, I turn back around and stare at his deserted coffee. Granted, I’m not smooth—I get it—but he didn’t have to run out like that. I just wanted to see that he was safe. Shit, I don’t even know his name.

This is not a typical vampire tale, it’s not full of a hungry vamp searching for his next meal. This is a beautiful story of Tris, a piano student recovering from a bad relationship trying to rebuild his confidence and independence and Ethan, a lonely vampire who hasn’t relied on anyone but himself in far too long. In once instant of happenstance Ethan found the one thing he couldn’t live without. Ethan will need to examine his feeling and decide if this is an infatuation or if he’s willing to give up his lonely, safe existence for a chance at the forever. Tris will need to decide if he can trust Ethan to not crush his spirit and help him blossom into the man he’s trying to become. When fate steps in, Ethan will need to make a split second decision, will he leave Tris to his fate or spend eternity loving him.

The book was very well written, at times you could feel Ethan’s loneliness, you can feel Tris’s apprehension to trust. You can feel the sparks jump off the page at you, but more importantly you can feel the love as these two navigate their new relationship.

The characters were well developed, not just the main characters there are a few supporting characters I love as well. The first time I read this book I devoured it because I just needed to see what happened, before I could write my review I had to read it again at a slower pace so that I could absorb all the amazing details.

This is one of the best books I’ve read so far this year.

5 pieces of eye candy

Sara Dobie Bauer is a bestselling author, model, mental health speaker, and LGBTQ advocate with a creative writing degree from Ohio University. She lives with her hottie husband and two precious pups in Northeast Ohio, although she’d really like to live in a Tim Burton film. Her current obsession with Timothee Chalamet runs deep, and don’t even get her started on Call Me By Your Name.

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